The earliest ancestor of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, the Tankopanicum Orchestra, was founded by Alfred I. du Pont. A great lover of music, he began his orchestra with a circle of fine musicians. He took the name Tankopanicum from the Native American name for the Brandywine River. The small amateur orchestra was initially comprised of mill workers, a doctor, a machinist, a clerk, a millwright, a blacksmith, a contractor, laborers and several of du Pont’s relatives.
Du Pont’s progressive hearing loss forced him to shut down his ensemble in 1906. Two local businessmen, C.P.M. Rumford and Major K.K.V. Casey, came to the rescue and asked Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Flutist August Rodmann to serve as the orchestra’s first professional conductor. The orchestra survived until 1909.
Local violinist Harry Stausebach spearheaded efforts to revive the orchestra in 1912. The group now called itself the Wilmington Symphony Club, and by 1929 was playing a major role in the city’s cultural life. The Symphony Club then merged with the orchestra from the Wilmington Music School, and took the name Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. Stausebach wrote of his orchestra, “All of us work together for the love of music, our great common interest . . . we attempt to pass on to the public something of the pleasure we find in musical compositions.”
Stausebach led the orchestra through the difficult war years. The orchestra had many professional musicians at that time, but the other members included a doctor, a veterinarian, a barber and various servicemen who rotated through town. By the time Stausebach retired in 1955, he had expanded the repertoire, education and outreach programs of his orchestra. He had also turned the group into a more professional organization by adding by-laws, an executive board and formal incorporation.
The Board of Directors chose Van Lier Lanning to succeed Stausebach. At the first rehearsal, Lanning placed the score of Stravinsky’s Firebird on each music stand. The demanding piece told the orchestra that they were being challenged to step up a notch. He required new orchestra members to audition. A period of organizational growth followed Lanning’s appointment as well. The season was lengthened, the name of the organization was changed to the Delaware Symphony Orchestra in 1971, and the renovation of the Grand Opera House gave the orchestra an elegant permanent home. When Lanning retired in 1979, his orchestra had grown to eighty members, many of whom were professional musicians.
In 1979 Stephen Gunzenhauser, director of the Wilmington Music School, was appointed to replace Lanning as conductor and music director. Maestro Gunzenhauser is credited with building the orchestra into a respected and professional regional orchestra by broadening the repertoire and extending the season. He took the Delaware Symphony on its first successful international tour to Portugal, and led the orchestra in debut performances in New York City and Washington, D.C. Maestro Gunzenhauser left the Delaware Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2001-02 season after 23 years.
In February of 2002, the Delaware Symphony Association began the search for a new music director. Five candidates were chosen from over 325 applications received from around the world. The candidates each spent one week with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra in the Symphony’s 2002-03 season, during which time they met with donors, staff, board members and community members. In March of 2003, Delaware Symphony Orchestra Board Chair Gary Wilkinson announced that the acclaimed young conductor David Amado had been selected as the new music director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Amado assumed his title immediately, and his full responsibilities began in September 2003.
The Delaware Symphony Orchestra now performs a seven-program Classical Series, a three-program pops series called DSO Plugged In, a Champagne Chamber Series at the Hotel du Pont and two Lollipop family concerts, as well as special-event concerts throughout the season.
The Delaware Symphony Orchestra is devoted to bringing music to Delaware’s children. Each year more than 11,000 students are treated to in-school ensembles, youth concerts, soloist competitions, family concerts and discounted concert tickets.
